The whole anti energy balance/low carb obsession is generally a covert marketing gimmick to sell more fatty products to the general public. The classic example: the name “Bacon and eggs” was popularized by Edward Bernays in the 1920s. To promote sales of bacon, he conducted a survey of physicians and reported their recommendations that people eat hearty breakfasts. He sent the results of the survey to 5,000 physicians, along with publicity touting bacon and eggs as a hearty breakfast.

Mr. McDonald cannot be blamed if the anti energy balance crowd have succumbed to propaganda and pseudo science.

Now, I am fully aware that this ‘proves’ nothing, but shows that energy calculations, by themselves are not the whole game, and dogmatic thinking, on either side, will get us nowhere.

It seems sensible that the two parts (energy needs/calculations) and consuming real food must be brought together to create a diet that works to lose weight.

Good luck all, and keep up the good work Lyle, you’re an inspiration.
george

The equation holds true when compared against the same person.

Great site and information Lyle.

2. The difference in energy yield between individuals will not vary that much.

It would be clearer to say something along the lines of ‘amount of energy your body converts from the food you eat’… Because everyone will get different amounts of energy (wether instant or stored as fat) from the exact same food item, depending on their body’s response to it.

Which explains why a type 1 diabetic will have a harder time gaining weight without insulin

Simply omit the name Bray and insert the name McDonald:

“Much of Bray’s critique hinges on his assertion that I believe that obese individuals do not eat more than lean individuals. He quotes a line from GCBC, but by doing so out of context directs attention away from the critical observation that must be explained. ‘Even if it could be
established’, I wrote and Bray quotes, ‘that all obese individuals eat more than do the lean – which they don’t – that only tells us that eating more is associated with being obese’.

The keyword in the sentence, however, is ‘all’. It must be the case, as discussed in GCBC, that the obese tend to eat more than the lean, because they tend to expend more
energy than the lean. This does not mean, however, that all lean individuals expend less energy than all obese individuals of comparable height, sex and bone structure. The
distributions of calories consumed overlap, as do the distributions of calories expended. This is the observation that requires explanation. I do not mention doubly labelled
water in this context, because the necessary observations were made with calorimeters nearly a century ago (3).

In this context, Bray’s statement ‘that obese people eat more food energy than do lean people’ is either meaningless – is he indeed claiming that it’s impossible to find lean
individuals who naturally expend more energy on a daily basis than obese individuals of comparable height, sex and bone structure? – or it is indefensible. The relevant point is
how greatly energy expenditure and metabolic rate ‘might differ between any two individuals of equal weight, or how similar [they] might be among individuals of vastly different
weights’ (GCBC, p. 278).

Bray also consistently confuses associations – the obese eat more than the lean; the obese are in positive energy balance as they fatten – with causes and effects. Do they get
fatter because they overeat, as Bray continues to imply, or do they overeat because they’re getting fatter. The goal of science is to correctly determine causality. In these two
competing hypotheses, the causalities are diametrically opposed.

The point is that people like Lyle, Bray, Krieger and a host of other people of their ilk think that because the obese eat more than the lean (on average) than they can blame obesity on eating too much. And that’s nonsense. You still don’t know whether they eat more because they’re getting fatter or because they’re getting fatter because they’re eating more. And second of all, as Gary says in his response the key thing is that some obese people do eat less than some lean people of similar bone structure, age, sex, etc. And that’s what you have to understand.

A type I diabetic can’t get fat no matter how much he eats without taking insulin. Explain that. No insulin, no fat storage. Lyle has stakes much of his rep on a calorie is a calorie idea – an idea that is untrue.

And when it comes to fat loss, the laws of thermodynamics are essentially irrelevant. No one is disputing the laws themselves – but they have little bearing on HOW we gain or lose fat. The 2nd law tells us what CAN happen – not what will happen. If I eat 500 caloires more than I need I may or may NOT gain fat. There is no gaurantee I will gain fat. This is why people who invoke the 1st law get it wrong. We are not walking ATM machines.

Here are my priorities for a successful fat loss program in order of importance:

1. Control insulin by lowering carbohydrate intak to under 60 grams a day for most
2. Ensure that all carbs come from non starchy vegetable sources
3. Ensure adequate protein intake
4. Ensure adequate saturated fat intake since the bulk of the calories eaten will be derived from fats

And there are studies that indicate a lower carb intake on an ad libitum diet works best. Start with the A to Z Diet.

I started at 21% bodyfat after about 6 months of dieting, I am 6 weeks into your UD2 and I have lost 21 pounds, and recomped like a true champion, even people who see me everyday, even the people that I live with can tell! Granted I did not follow your directions (in regards to learning how to plan a diet over years) everything has worked EXACTLY,To the tee, how you said it would: body weight fluctuation, types of fatigue during my workout, but most importantly, burning fat, and gaining muscle, which I can prove with a journal I have kept measuring progress in the gym and my weight loss from the start, not to mention before and 4 week pictures and my soon to be had after pictures.

Thanks for leading the way in a world full of followers Lyle, I cannot thank you enough, rest assured I will be a fan for a very long time!!!